Address by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the return of the remains of freedom fighters from exile, Freedom Park, Tshwane

27 September 2024

Excellencies,
Special greetings to the High Commissioner of the Republic of Zambia and Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe,
Ministers and Deputy Ministers, 
Premiers,
Families of our fallen heroes and heroines,
Leadership of the African National Congress, Pan Africanist Congress and other liberation organisations,
Stalwarts and Veterans,
Friends and distinguished guests, 
Fellow South Africans,

Today we celebrate the return to our soil of the remains of heroes and heroines of our struggle for freedom.

Through the act of repatriation, we reinstate their citizenship. 

We return them to the land of their birth. We restore them to their families and their people.

Decades ago, these freedom fighters left a country that was at war with itself.

They left a country in which the fundamental rights of its people were brutally and cruelly suppressed by apartheid, which was declared a crime against humanity.

Today, their remains return to a free and democratic South Africa.

It will forever remain a source of regret that they were never to see the dawn of the freedom to which they dedicated their lives.

It is fitting that we gather at Freedom Park to honour them. 

It is here at Freedom Park that we remember our struggle for liberation and the many men and women who fought so that we may be free.

It is here that we celebrate the achievement of our democracy.

And it is here that we pledge to strive together, sparing neither strength nor courage, until the fundamental freedoms of every person are realised.

Through the reparation of the remains of these freedom fighters, we are giving further effect to the Preamble of our Constitution.

In the Preamble, we are enjoined to recognise the injustices of our past and honour those who suffered for justice and freedom in our land.

We are called on to heal the divisions of the past and establish a society based on democratic values, social justice and fundamental human rights.

While these freedom fighters belonged to different political traditions, they were united by a common vision of a free South Africa. 

And though they departed this life many years ago, their ideals and their values continue to guide the South Africa we are building.

Their activism and their sacrifices continue to inspire our efforts to build a better life for all.

As we welcome these patriots back home, we owe our everlasting gratitude to the countries that offered these freedom fighters shelter, support and, in the end, a fitting resting place.

We are grateful in this instance to the governments and peoples of Zambia and Zimbabwe for having taken great care of our compatriots and for enabling their remains to be repatriated.

Like other countries on our continent – and in other parts of the world – they stood alongside us in our struggle for freedom.

They hosted our freedom fighters. They provided material assistance.

These countries dedicated themselves to our cause, often at a great cost to themselves and their people.

Our fallen heroes and heroines became part of these sister countries. 

Today’s ceremony brings us closer together.

We are hopeful that we may work with the authorities of these countries to promote the memorialisation of our shared struggles.

We hope that we may promote education, tourism and people-to-people exchanges. 

Exactly two months ago, the global community – under the UNESCO World Heritage umbrella – approved the declaration of world heritage sites in South Africa termed Human Rights, Liberation and Reconciliation sites. 

The distinguished delegation of Zambia to the World Heritage Committee tabled the proposal and was supported by all the other committee members.

Today is an opportunity to renew our commitment to the African Liberation Heritage Programme led by Tanzania. 

Today’s ceremony must build on the emerging government-wide collaboration on cultural heritage and the memory of all our freedom fighters. 

We must work with education and heritage stakeholders to ensure that the names and contributions of these African freedom fighters are known and appreciated by future generations. 

We must build memorials to the sacrifice, resilience and solidarity that characterised this profound friendship between our countries. 

We must undertake memorial activities that showcase the innovation of our people across all disciplines, spheres and industries.

While we remember these heroes and heroines through monuments and acts of memory, ultimately the greatest tribute we can pay them is to build a South Africa in which all people are free and equal.

We must honour their memories by working with greater determination to lift the people of South Africa out of poverty and to create employment and opportunity.

We must work to end all forms of violence. We must build safe homes and communities.

We must tear down the divisions between black and white, between men and women, between rich and poor.

The return of these freedom fighters reminds us of the calibre of activists that led us on the path to democracy.

It reminds us that, wherever we are and whatever we do, we are called upon to be agents of change. We are all called upon to be activists.

In our actions, in our conduct, we must follow their example.

We must strive for unity, not division.

We must hold ourselves to the highest standards of integrity and probity.

The journey of these patriots reflects the powerful and irreversible ties of solidarity and friendship among Africans and the peoples of the world. 

We have just returned from the United Nations General Assembly, where we attended the Summit of the Future.

 At that historic gathering, the representatives of humanity raised their voices in support of effective multilateralism and sustainable development.

They reaffirmed their commitment to global justice, peace and an equitable system of international governance.

As a country, our experiences of struggle and solidarity propel us to continue to work vigorously for a better Africa and a better world. 

Our commitment to international peace, justice and respect for human rights is unwavering.

We will continue to stand opposed to any form of colonialism or apartheid anywhere.

We stand with the people of Palestine. We stand with the people of Western Sahara.

Like the compatriots that we honour today, we know that freedom is indivisible. 

The remains of these freedom fighters remind us of the price of freedom. 

We owe it to their memory to make sure that no other generation and no other people have to pay that price. 

There are many departments, institutions and individuals who have worked tirelessly – over the course of several years – to make the repatriation of these remains possible.

The governments, high commission, embassy and relevant authorities of Zambia and Zimbabwe have provided invaluable support.

This project was made possible by the outstanding efforts of the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, working in close collaboration with other departments.

The Department of Home Affairs ensured that families received passports and were able to visit the burial sites of their loved ones, some for the first time.

The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, through the TRC Unit, mobilised and supported the families.

The NPA , through the Missing Persons Task Team, together with the South African Heritage Resources Agency, exhumed and examined the remains. 

The Department of Health facilitated that the correct permits were issued for the mortal remains to enter our borders.

The South African Defence Force has brought our heroes and heroines home and has opened its facility at 1 Military Hospital to store the remains. 

The return of these remains from Zambia and Zimbabwe mark the start of a process to return the remains of fallen freedom fighters from several other countries.

The Exile Repatriation Project will continue, in fulfilment of the duty we owe to those who fought for our freedom, to their families and to the generations to come.

South Africans need to know the names and appreciate the contributions of these returned freedom fighters.

Some of them are well known.

Duma Nokwe was the Secretary-General of the African National Congress at a crucial moment in our struggle for liberation. 

In exile, he was a prominent voice on the continent and around the world in support of the cause of the South African people.

It is perhaps a sign of his esteemed place in the history of the liberation movement that his remains were exhumed still wearing the ANC scarf in which he was buried in Lusaka in 1978.

John Nyathi Pokela was Chairman of the Pan Africanist Congress who spent more than a decade on Robben Island for his activities as a member of the Azanian People's Liberation Army, then known as Poqo. 

He is remembered for the vital role he played in forging unity within the PAC. He passed away in Harare in 1985.

Another prominent leader of the Pan Africanist Congress was Edwin Letsholo Makoti. 

He was a founding member of the PAC and was Secretary for Publicity and Information in the PAC Central Committee at the time of his passing in Harare in 1989.

We all know the name of Florence Mophosho, a stalwart of the struggle who is remembered for her commitment, sacrifice and fiery spirit.

She was a great leader of our movement and a pioneer in the struggle for women’s rights. 

She helped us understand that no society can be free until its women are free.

The name of Basil February is also writ large in the history of our struggle.

As a member of the Luthuli Detachment of Umkhonto we Sizwe, he was killed in action in the then-Rhodesia during the Wankie Campaign.

We also welcome home the remains of Todd Matshikiza, a composer, musician and writer of great renown and achievement. 

His music and his writing earned him much acclaim, but it also earned him the ire of the apartheid state, which banned many of his works and forced upon him years of exile.

He passed away in Lusaka in 1968.

There are other freedom fighters who honour here today whose names are not as familiar. 

And yet their sacrifice and their contribution to our freedom is no less profound and is no less valued.

I ask that we read out the names of these patriots for all our people to know them.

Their names will forever be inscribed here at the Wall of Names in Freedom Park so that we may never forget.

Any nation that values it freedom holds its liberation heroes and heroines in high regard. 

We are therefore, as government, making every effort to preserve our liberation heritage. 

To do so, we must honour all those who authored this history by taking part in the struggle to free our country. 

This we must continue to do because our freedom can never be taken for granted. 

We must continue to honour those men and women whose love for their country and its people motivated them to sacrifice their lives for freedom. 

I thank you.

Issued by The Presidency, 27 September 2024